Re: “We’re landlords and we agree with rent stabilization” (March 21, Opinion):
The op-ed from landlords declaring opposition to Home Invoice 1217 as coming from “lease gouging” small-scale landlords is unfair. We’re a retired public well being nurse and a retired nonprofit supervisor, now on mounted incomes. We have been in a position to purchase the homes on both aspect of our house in White Middle 25 years in the past.
Our tenants have been in these properties for over 20 years, and our rents proceed to be 20%-25% under market. We subsidize these properties to maintain them secure and clear, and our tenants have develop into good mates. Each Wednesday, all of us sit round a campfire with our neighbors and rejoice.
For legislators to inform us that as small-scale landlords, we should restrict lease will increase to 7%, when property taxes alone went up 14% this yr, is an insult. One in every of us has early-onset Alzheimer’s illness, and we may very well be dealing with wanted in-home care. Taking away our capacity to boost rents to market charge as our well being declines is cruelty. We’re the great guys right here, even when this laws is treating us like price-gouging criminals. Excluding “mother and pop” landlords like us from this laws is the best factor to do.
Mark L. Ufkes and Lois A. Schipper, Seattle
